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Considering the Future of Food and Agriculture

Kumiai Chemical is proud to announce its 15th Essay Contest, inviting students to delve into the theme: "The Future of Food and Agriculture - Realizing a Sustainable Society". This initiative encourages fresh ideas and opinions from students to develop solutions for some of the pressing challenges facing agriculture today.

Agriculture has advanced significantly through the innovative ideas and efforts of people from various backgrounds. Key developments, including advancements in breeding technologies and the introduction of chemical pesticides, have significantly contributed to stable food production and labor efficiency, resulting in a remarkable increase in crop productivity.

However, the agricultural sector currently faces numerous challenges such as rapid global population growth, climate change, aging farmers, a shortage of new agricultural workers, and the increasing abandonment of farmland. To tackle these issues, various strategies and the development of new technologies that merge with other sectors are being actively pursued.

As a company dedicated to supporting global food and agriculture, Kumiai Chemical aims to collaborate with future students to address food and agriculture issues and to work toward a sustainable society. Since 2012, we have been organizing the Essay Contest to promote food and agricultural education. This year, we are eager to receive creative and bold ideas from students on future aspects of food and agriculture.

Contest Details

Eligibility

• - Open to students enrolled in universities, graduate schools, agricultural universities, junior colleges, or vocational schools.
• - Collaborative submissions by groups are permitted.

Essay Theme

• - "The Future of Food and Agriculture - Realizing a Sustainable Society"
• - Participants are free to discuss topics related to food and agriculture. Here are some suggestions:

- Large-scale food drives in high-rise apartments to reduce food waste
- Pursuing a borderless society with zero abandoned farmland
- Spatial economic approaches to local agricultural promotion
- Recommendations for sustainable farming practices and the challenges of agriculture
- A chemical approach aimed at a second green revolution

Submission Guidelines

1. The essay must be an original work written in Japanese by the applicant.
2. Each individual or group can submit only one essay.
3. Submissions should be created using Microsoft Word.
4. Word count should be between 4,000 and 10,000 characters (approximately 3-7 pages in A4 landscape format).

Submission Process

• - Submissions can be made via email to [email protected] or by postal service, ensuring to include a CD-R or DVD-R with the essay data.
• - The essay should consist of a cover page, a summary, and the main body. The cover page must include the title and author’s name.
• - The summary should be one page of A4, concisely summarizing the content of the essay.
• - Download the application form from our corporate website and fill in the necessary details for submission.

Submission Addresses

• - Email: [email protected]
• - Postal Address:

Kumiai Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.
Sustainability Promotion Department, Public Relations Section
1-4-26 Ikebukuro, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-8782, Japan

Awards

• - Grand Prize: 500,000 JPY
• - Excellent Prize: 200,000 JPY
• - Special Prize: One year’s supply of rice

Contest Timeline

• - Submission Period: May 15, 2026 – October 31, 2026 (postmark by deadline)
• - Results Announcement: February 2027 (for awarded participants only)